Antislipping device

ABSTRACT

An anti-slipping device has a tread network of chains connected to an external mounting by terminal links ( 20 ) of segments of chains ( 4, 5 ) of the network, and the external mounting is configured as a disc ( 13 ) in its peripheral area. The terminal links ( 20 ) are hooked into retaining anchors ( 19 ) formed by sections of a wire ( 18 ) which is held in place in guide channels ( 17 ) on the outside of the disc ( 13 ).

The invention relates to an anti-skid device having a running net whichis connected by connecting elements at a plurality of connecting pointsLo an inner fixing device and to an outer fixing device which isdesigned as a disc in the vicinity of the circumference of said innerfixing device, the connecting elements which are assigned to the outerfixing device being designed as end elements of chain elements which arealigned perpendicularly with respect to the edge of the tire.

An anti-skid device of the above type is known from the German patentapplication 19702815.2-16. In the known anti-skid device, the connectingelements of end elements are formed by end elements of chain sections,running obliquely with respect to the rolling direction of the vehiclewheel, of the running net. The end elements engage here with their frontparts in holes which are arranged in the direct vicinity of the outeredge of the disc. The effort required in terms of fabrication to connectthe disc to the running net is considerable with this solution and isdifficult to reconcile with the fact that anti-skid devices aremass-produced articles. A faster and simpler connection can be achievedby using so-called side hooks as connecting elements, but these must, asis known for example from WO 81/02870, themselves firstly be connectedto the end elements of the chain sections of the running net.Furthermore, possible connecting elements would also be double hooks andspring hooks of the type known from DE 34 27 604 A1, but these areexcessively expensive.

Finally, DE 42 25 802 C2 discloses a rim protection which is composed ofa ring-shaped disc and in which the disc is provided on its outer sidewith fixing clips which are distributed uniformly over the circumferenceof the disc and into which sections of an outer fixing device which isformed by an enclosed side chain can be clipped. However, in this casethe possibility of using the disc as part of an outer fixing device isnot considered but instead the emphasis is placed on the possibility ofreleasing the rim protection from the actual anti-skid device.

The invention is based on the object of providing an anti-skid device ofthe type under consideration, in which the running net can be connectedto the outer fixing device in a particularly economical way and in whichthe method of connection provides the possibility-of using an identicalrunning net for tires whose size varies within a certain range. Thisobject is achieved according to the invention in that the end elementswhich are assigned Lo the outer fixing device are connected to fixingfittings which are formed by sections of a wire which is respectivelyguided and secured on each side of the respective connecting point inguide channels which are arranged in the vicinity of the outer edge ofthe disc.

The anti-skid device according to the invention provides the advantagethat the fixing fittings can easily be introduced into the clearinternal spaces of the end elements and the wire sections which formthem can be pushed either simultaneously or subsequently into the guidechannels in which they are secured frictionally and/or positively or bymeans of spring force. The anti-skid device can be adapted to differenttire sizes using differently shaped fixing fittings.

Further details and features of the invention emerge from the subclaimsand from the following description of a particularly advantageousembodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the appendeddrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows, viewed obliquely from the front, an anti-skid device whichis mounted on a vehicle tire.

FIG. 2 shows a section along the line II—II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows, viewed obliquely from the rear, the anti-skid deviceaccording to FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the anti-skid device according to FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a vehicle tyre which is fitted onto a light-alloy rim 2and equipped with an anti-skid device whose running net is composedessentially of intersections which follow one another along the tread inthe circumferential direction of the tire and each of which is formed bya longitudinal chain element 3 and four oblique chain elements 4, 5, 6,7. The oblique chain elements 5 and 7 are connected in a known fashionto an inner fixing device 8 which is formed by a spring steel strapwhose ends 9 and 10 are connected to one another by means of atensioning chain 11 which is guided over the tread of the tire 1 to theouter fixing device of the anti-skid device and passes a guide eyelet12.

The outer fixing device includes an essentially ring-shaped disc 13 anda retainer ring 14 which is connected to it. Both abovementionedcomponents are expediently designed as plastic injection-moldedcomponents. In the vicinity of its outer edge 16 which is provided withcut-outs 15 which are opened in a direction facing towards the outeredge 16, the disc 13 has guide channels 17 facing towards the center ofthe disc and which run equidistantly from the outer edge 16 and haveessentially an L-shaped cross section. The guide channels 17 serve tofix a strap-shaped wire 18 which has sections which are bent at rightangles in a generally U-shaped configuration in the vicinity of thecut-outs 15 and which form fixing fittings 19 for connecting elementswhich are composed, in the case illustrated, of end elements 20, alignedperpendicularly with respect to the edge of the tire 1, of the obliquechain elements 4 and 6.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the guide channels 17 are formed by essentiallyL-shaped webs whose limbs which run parallel Lo the disc 13 have alatching recess 21 for the wire 18. The wire 18 is held in positionfrictionally and positively owing to a certain elasticity of the webswhich form the guide channels 17. The described design of the guidechannels permit short wire elements also to be used instead of acontinuous wire 18. However, it has proven particularly favourable touse a wire which is embodied, like the inner fixing device 8 of theanti-skid device, as a spring steel strap.

Instead of fixing fittings 19 which are bent at right angles as in theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is also possible to use fixingfittings 22 which are, as illustrated in FIG. 4, only slightly curved,run parallel to the outer edge 16 of the disc and permit the anti-skiddevice to be used on a relatively small tire.

In order to ensure that the wire 18 does not become twisted with respectto the disc 13, end stops 23 and 24 which prevent rotary movements andact on the end faces of the wire ends are arranged in the vicinity ofthe ends of the wire 18.

What is claimed is:
 1. An anti-skid device adapted to be mounted to avehicle tire, said anti-skid device comprising a running net, an innerfixing device, an outer fixing device comprising a disc proximate to anouter surface thereof, and a plurality of connecting elements forconnecting said inner fixing device to said outer fixing device at aplurality of connecting points; said connecting elements connected tosaid outer fixing device comprising end elements of chain elements ofsaid running net; said disc (13) of said outer fixing device having anouter edge (16) and a plurality of guide channels (17) proximate to saidouter edge (16), and at least one wire (18) received, in part, in saidguide channels (17); and fixing fittings (19) defined by portions ofsaid at least one wire extending between adjacent said guide channels(17), said end elements (20) of said chain elements being connected tosaid fixing fittings (19).
 2. Anti-skid device according to claim 1,wherein said wire (18) is a continuous wire, and each of said endelements (20) is threaded on said continuous strap-shaped wire. 3.Anti-skid device according to claim 1, wherein said wire (18) comprisesa plurality of individual wire sections, each of said fixing fittingsbeing defined by a different one of said individual wire sectionsextending between said adjacent guide channels (17).
 4. Anti-skid deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein said disc (13) defines, proximate to saidfixing fittings (19), cut-out sections (15) which are opened in adirection facing towards the outer edge of said disc.
 5. Anti-skiddevice according to claim 1, wherein said guide channels (17) are openedin a direction facing towards the center of said disc (13) and areformed by webs running at a constant distance from said outer edge (16)of said disc (13) and are essentially L-shaped in cross section. 6.Anti-skid device according to claim 5, wherein each of said webs formingsaid guide channels (17) has a limb running essentially parallel to theoutside of said disc (13), and a latching recess (21) provided on saidlimb for receiving said at least one wire (18).
 7. Anti-skid deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said fixing fittings (19) are formed byU-shaped sections of said wire (18).
 8. Anti-skid device according toclaim 1, wherein said portions of said at least one wire (18) formingsaid fixing fittings (22) run parallel to the outer edge (16) of saiddisc (13).
 9. Anti-skid device according to claim 1, wherein said chainelements comprising said running net intersect along a tread portion ofsaid vehicle tire when said anti-skid device is mounted to said vehicletire, said running net comprising a longitudinal chain element (3) andfour oblique chain elements (4, 5, 6, 7).
 10. Anti-skid device accordingto claim 9, wherein said end elements (20) of said chain elements (4, 6)are connected to at least some of said fixing fittings (19). 11.Anti-skid device according to claim 2, wherein said continuous wire (18)is formed from spring steel.
 12. Anti-skid device according to claim 2,wherein said device includes end stops (23, 24) acting on saidcontinuous wire (18) for preventing rotary movement of said wire (18)relative to said disc (13).
 13. Anti-skid device according to claim 3,wherein said disc (13) defines, proximate to said fixing fittings (19),cut-out sections (15) which are opened in a direction facing towards theouter edge of said disc.
 14. Anti-skid device according to claim 2,wherein said fixing fittings (19) are formed by U-shaped sections ofsaid wire (18).
 15. Anti-skid device according to claim 3, wherein saidfixing fittings (19) are formed by U-shaped sections of said wire (18).16. Anti-skid device according to claim 2, wherein said portions of saidat least one wire (18) forming said fixing fittings (22) run parallel tothe outer edge (16) of said disc (13).
 17. Anti-skid device according toclaim 1, wherein said wire (18) is formed from spring steel.